Shoe sole sewing machine



June 2,1953 F. ASHWORTH 2,640,449

SHOE SOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1950 Patented June 2, 1953 United Shoe :lVIachi-nery corporation,

ton, N. 5., a

Flemingnorporation :of New Jersey Application May 12, 1950, Serial N0. 161,711)

efllaims. l

The present invention relates to wax thread shoe sole sewing machines of the type arranged to new a welt having a feathered edge to the marginal portions of an outsole before attachment to a shoe upper. An example of such machines is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,233,411 granted on March 4, 1-941, upon application of '0. R. Haas and No. 2,233,413 granted on the same date upon application of N. F. Hopkins et a1.

As dintinguished from machines in which the work is fed by an awl, the machines of the patents above noted are provided with work clamping and feeding members which support an outsole while sewing a feather edge weltthereto, the lower clamping and feeding member being in the form of a work table having substantial length and width along the line of feed. To clamp the outsole against the work table its upper surface is engaged 'by a presser foot and the work table and presser foot are oscillated in proper timed relation to the clamping action. Because of the length and width of the work table its weight is greater than in .many prior clamp feed machines having smaller sized work tables for other types of work. Furthermore, the feeding movement of the clamp comprising the work table and pres'serfoot in the patented machines is guided about a relatively short radius, the carriage for the clamp being mounted to swing about a pivot on a fixed portion of the machine frame. weight it is difficult to actuate a heavy table at high speeds without causing excessive strains in the feed mechanism. Oscillation of a heavy table about a pivot also causes the outsole to vibrate vertically so that firm contact with the table is not easily maintained.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe outsole sewing machine of the clamp feed type for securing a welt to the marginal portions of an unattached outsole, in which 'a work supporting table of the required length and width is employed without causing excessive strains to be imparted to the feed mechanism when operating at high speeds and in which a smooth even feeding movement is "insured without excessive vibratory effects on the outso'le. Another object is to improve the construction of a table for such machine to render it adaptable -for a wider range of work variations than heretofore while maintaining the quality of workmanship and insuring greater ease in guiding the outsole. In the accomplishment of these obiects, the invention :eonsis'ts in the use of a On account of its greater .2 work table of the required length and :breadth capable of being inclined to those portions of the needle and awl paths within the work at an angle less than but separate from the work feeding clam-p.

Other features of the invention reside in certain constructions, arrangements and 'combina tions of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which willbe apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of those portions of a machine required for an understanding of the invention, indicating the man nor in which the work including an outsole and a welt are supported in the machine, certain control parts of the machine heing indicated in perspec'tive;

Fig. -2 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1 looking at right angles to the plane of the work table;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2 taken from the right along a line passing through the point of sewing operations;

Fig. l is a detail sectional view in rear elevation of the work table and welt guide taken through the line of the seam inserted by the needle of the machine as seen from the line IV- 'IV of Fig. 2-;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the com bined welt guide and edge gage; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a cover plate for retaining the welt guide in position.

The machine illustrated is a curved hook needle lockstitch sole sewing machine similar,

except as hereinafter described, to those dis-' closed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,056,670 granted October 6, 1986, upon application of Gouldhourn et al. and No. 2,271,611

granted February 3, 1942, upon application of Ashwort-h et al. The curved hook needle of the machine is indicated at 8 and the curved awl at Ill. The machine is of the clamp feed type, the clamp of which consists of a work support 12 and a pres'ser foot 14 mounted for movement and actuated both to secure the work and to move it in the direction of feed with an arouate movement centered about an inclined pivot mounting in a frame of the machine, as more fully disclosed in the Ashworth et a1. patent.

In the machines ofthe Haas and Hopkins et a1. patents, above-identified, an unattached outsole presented to the machine and maintainedin flattened oondition during sewing operations against a sole engaging and work supporting surface inclined at an angle with the horizontal and at least 70 to those portions of the needle and awl paths within the work and intersecting the sole engaging and work supporting surface to cause the stitches of a seam to be inserted closer to the edge along one side than on the other side of the outsole. In the machines of these patent, the work supporting surface is formed by a plate on the work support, of substantial length and width relative to the line of feed, the width being at least half that of the largest size of shoe sole intended to be operated upon at its narrowest point. The plate on the work support of the patented machine, being actuated in the line of feed, imparts a vibratory movement to the outsole and on account of its relatively great weight as compared with a conventional work support it causes excessive strains in the actuating mechanisms for the clamp feed parts when operated at high speeds.

To avoid these difficulties in the machine of the present invention, the work supporting plate is not mounted to move in the line of feed with the feed clamp but comprises a separate table l6 mounted on a stationary part of the machine. The table It not partaking of the work feeding movements of the clamp, does not impart vibratory effects to the work or impose excessive strains on the clamp feed actuating mechanism. As in the patented machines, the present work table It is capable of inclination with its sole engaging surface at an angle less than 70 to those portions of the needle and awl paths within the work. The table l6, as in United States Letters Patent No. 2,334,299 granted November 16, 1943, upon application of Whitaker, has an arouate mounting rib I8 which is releasably clamped within a guideway of similar shape in the forwardly extending arm of a bracket 20 bolted to a stationary portion of the machine frame, indicated at 22. The arcuate guideway for the rib i8 is centered about the point of intersection between the path of the needle 8 and the supporting surface of the table 16, so that movement of the rib along its guideway varies the inclination of the table without changing the margin of the seam inserted. To enable the work support member of the feed clamp to be actuated in the direction of feed, independently of the table l6, the table has a cutout clearance section 24 about the clamp portion of the work support I2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, an outsole being operated upon is indicated at 26 and a feather edged welt at 28. The welt is led into the sewing point of the machine through a guide in the form of a trough 3B. The trough 30 is mounted within an inclined recess 32 in the work table and is arranged for swinging movement in the plane of an outsole toward and from th line of the scam inserted by the needle to vary the margin between the seam and the outer edge of the welt. For this purpose, the welt guide trough has an opening 34 through which passes a pivot 36 secured in the table 16 to enable the trough to swing about the pivot. The trough is retained in th recess 32 by a cover plate 38 secured by screws 4|] to the table 16.

To guide the sole and welt together with their edges in register, in one form of the invention, they are engaged by an edge gage 42 carried by thewelt guide trough 30 within the recess of the table It. The edge gage is formed integrally with the rear flange of the welt guide trough 30' so that it is movable with the welt guide trough to vary the margin of the seam. The edge gage 42 is formed with a curved work engaging surface and is arranged to be actuated during sewing operations, always moving in the plane of the work supporting surface of the table.

For actuating the edge gage 42 to vary the position of the seam a rearward surfac 44 on the edge gage is rounded in an arc concentric with the curvature of the rib l8 on the table 16 and this surface is engaged by a vertical surface on a back gage slide block 46. The slide block 46 is mounted for sliding movement in a guideway 48 substantially at right angles to that portion of the needle path within the work and its forked rearward end embraces an eccentric '50. The

eccentric 50 is secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft 52 having at its lower end a pinion 54 meshing with teeth on a rack 56. The rack 56 is clamped to a slide 58 movable manually by a hand lever 60 fulcruming on a pin 62. The pin 62 is mounted in the forward end of a link 64 held against movement during actuation of the edge gage as in the machine of Patent No. 2,271,611.

With the arrangement of the rounded rearward surface 44 on the edge gage concentric with the rib l8, angular adjustment of the table IE on the bracket 20 causes no displacement of the edge gage relatively to the seam line and does not disturb the operative connection with the slide block 46. The edge gage 42 is located somewhat forwardly of the rearward flange on the welt guide trough to insure accurate register of the welt and outsole and uniform pressure of the welt against the edge gage positively at all times during sewmg.

To maintain the edge gage in uniform engagement with the slide block 46, the edge gage is urged rearwardly by a plunger 66 slidingly mounted for movements parallel to the plane of the table l6 within a passage beneath its work enaging surface. The plunger 66 has an enlarged head disposed within a counterbore in the table and the head is engaged by one end of a compression spring 68 retained within the counterbore by a cap screw 70.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and a particular embodiment having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a frame, a curved needle and clamp means for feeding the work comprising a work support and a presser foot both movable 0n the frame in the direction of feed, in combination with means for guiding the welt and outsole to the sewing point including a work table on the frame, separate from the work support and presser foot, for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a sole engaging surface and being mounted for inclination relative to that portion of the path of th needle intersecting thesole engaging surface to bring the sole engaging surface at an angle less than 70 with said aortion of the needle path.

2. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a frame, a curved needle and clamp means for feeding the work comprising a work support and a, presser foot both movable on the frame in the direction of feed, in combination with means for guiding the welt and outsole t the sewing point including a work table on the frame, separate from the work support and presser foot, for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a sole engaging surface and being mounted for inclination relative to that portion of the path of the needle intersecting the sole engaging surface to bring the sole engaging surface at an angle less than 70 with said portion of the needle path, said table also having a cutout section to clear the work support during its feeding movements.

3. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a frame, a curved needle and clamp means for feeding the work comprising a work support and a presser foot movable on the frame in the direction of feed, in combination with means on the frame for guiding the welt and outsole to the sewing point including a work table on the frame, separate from the Work support and presser foot, for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a sole engaging surface intersected by the needle path and being mounted for inclination relative to that portion of the path of the needle intersecting the sole engaging surface to bring the sole engaging surface at an angle less than 70 with said portion of the needle path, and an edge gage mounted on the work table for movement in the plane of the sole engaging surface of the work table toward and from the line of the seam inserted by the needle.

4. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a frame, a curved needle and clamp means for feeding the work comprising a work support and a presser foot both movable in the direction of feed, in combination with means on the frame for guiding the Welt and outsole to the sewing point including a Work table on the frame, separate from the work support and presser foot, for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a, sole engaging surface intersected by and being mounted for inclination relative to that portion of the path of the needle intersecting the sole engaging surface to bring the sole engaging surface at an angle less than 70 with said portion of the needle path, an edge gage mounted on the work table for movement in the plane of the sole engaging surface to the work table toward and from the line of the seam inserted by the needle and means for actuating the edge gage comprising a block mounted on the machine frame for movement at right angles to that portion of the needle path intersecting the sole engaging surface.

5. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a frame, a curved needle and clamp means for feeding the work comprising a work support and a presser foot movable on the frame in the direction of feed, in combination with means for guiding the welt and outsole to the sewing point including a work table separate from the work support and presser foot, for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a sole engaging surface intersected by the needle, an edge gage mounted on the work table for movement in the plane of the outsole toward and from the line of the seam inserted by the needle, means for actuating the edge gage comprising a block mounted for movement on the frame at right angles to that portion of the needle path intersecting the sole engaging surface, and an arcuate mounting on the machine frame for the work table centered about the intersection of the sole engaging surface on the work table and the neeedle path to enable the angle of inclination of the sole engaging surface on the table to be varied relatively to the needle path, the surface of the edge gage engaged by its actuating block being provided with a curvature concentric with the arcuate mounting of the work table.

6. A shoe sole sewing machine for securing a welt to the marginal portion of an unattached outsole, having a curved needle and means for feeding the work comprising a clamp movable in the direction of feed, in combination with means for guiding the welt and outsole to the sewing point including a work table separate from the clamp for supporting the outsole and welt, the table having a sole engaging surface intersected by the needle, a mounting on which the table is capable of inclination relative to that portion of the path of the needle intersecting the sole engaging surface to bring the sole engaging surface at an angle less than with said portion of the needle path, a welt guide in the work table comprising a trough and an edge gage secured thereto for directing the outer edges of the welt and outsole into accurate register, and a pivot for the welt guide on the work table about which the welt guide and edge gage swing toward and from the line of the seam inserted by the needle.

FRED ASHWORTH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

